Author Archives: Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Home & Homeland: where is it?

Sarah passed away and Abraham takes matters into his own hands, looking for a wife, first for Isaac and later in this Torah portion, also for himself (and some major commentators will tell us he got back together with Hagar). … Continue reading

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Yes Dear: An Intervention in Abraham and Sarah’s Tent

Jane: Honey, what is that wooden sled still doing here? Jakie almost broke his head tripping over it when we walked into the garage! You know how much I hate it. I told you to throw it away!! Joe: Honey, … Continue reading

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Counting Adam, Noah, Abraham…

The publication of the recent Pew survey has brought us back to the number game: how many are we? How may on us in the U.S.? In CA? How many of us are Israeli? Russian? Under 18? Under 40? Over … Continue reading

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In a beginning: starting again

Seven is a favorite number — the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, the seven branches on the menorah, the seven days of Creation. But how about the first verse of the Torah, which has exactly seven words, and the … Continue reading

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Sukkot

Instead of my blue toyota, we now have a sukkah in our front yard, between the wooden fence and the bushes, where normally the car would be. Just like last year, people keep stopping by, asking what this is. Some … Continue reading

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Yom Kippur: an “Afternoon Delight”

Watching Afternoon Delight makes for a pretty crazy evening. The life of LA Silver Lake mom, Rachel is turned upside down when she decides to save a young prostitute and bring her home so she can give her a new … Continue reading

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Three (still somewhat disconnected) Thoughts, Last Shabbat 5773

Not many people fill the seats at Grand Lake Theater for the Friday matinee of Fruitvale Station, but by the time the film was over, there is not a dry eye in the audience. I thought it was only me, … Continue reading

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שבת שלום: פרשת כי תבוא – ברכות, קללות, והחובה להיות שמח

קבלנו שבת לא קלה, בין חודש אלול לתחילת השנה החדשה (ערב ראש השנה כבר מגיע, ב-4 בספטמבר!) ועשרת הימים הנוראים, עשרת ימי תשובה. סופה (הארוך) של הפרשה כולל את הסט השני של ה”ברכות והקללות” או כפי שעוד קוראים לה “התוכחה”. … Continue reading

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על קצה המזלג: פרשת “כי תצא” – Shabbat Shalom: The Torah portion fo Ki Tetze (hebrew & english)

פרשת “כי תצא” ידיד יקר נתן בי מבט אחד ואיבחן בדייקנות, “את מאוהבת”. הוא התכוון לשבועות האחרונים שלי ב”מכון פרדס” וללימוד האינטנסיבי שם, וכמו שכולם יודעים, כשמאוהבים, אי אפשר להפסיק לדבר על מה הוא אמר, ומה הוא עשה, ואיפה הוא … Continue reading

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Pardes: a new family summer adventure

There are a lot of things kids can do that drive their parents crazy. We all know it, as parents – and as the kids we all are (even if we opt to forget what we’ve done ourselves!). But then, … Continue reading

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